Tuesday, 21 March 2017

Here is the e-mail version of my “after Tucson” E-list. This is going out quite a bit earlier than normal. Usually I wait until late April or early May but busy schedules (my own and those around me) have left me pretty much this earlier time slot to work with this year. NOTE: I will be out of town April 13th through the 17th visiting (I don’t set up at this one but I should be around the area quite a bit) the Denver Spring show (among other things). This show is April 14th-16th and is located at (as will my Denver fall show from now on) the Crowne Plaza Hotel & Convention Center (15500 E. 40th. Ave). The hours of the show are 9am to 6pm Friday and Saturday and 9am to 5pm on Sunday. Let me know if any of you want to get together at the show and if there is anything you want me to bring. MOUNT DOOLING, Australia: Coarse octahedrite. (IC). Found 1909. Tkw = over 734kg?
There are not many IC irons out there. It has been a long while since I have had a real one (I had some Bendego oxide not long ago though). I got some small individuals and one slice (that I cut up) of this that were likely not from pieces originally reported as part of the TKW in the Bulletin. Anyway, the complete piece are natural as found and mostly flatish, quasi-shrapnel looking. The etched slices are all part slices and have a fairly weak etch as this unusual (chemically anomalous) meteorite was shock recrystallised.
1) Etched part slices:
a) 5.8 grams - 16mm x 15mm x 3mm - $29
b) 11.8 grams - 24mm x 20mm x 3mm - $59
c) 26.3 grams - 45mm x 25mm x 3mm - $125
d) 48.6 grams - 60mm x 38mm x 3mm - $220
e) 108.8 grams - 100mm x 60mm x 3mm - $435 – nice ½ slice
2) Natural individuals as found: $3.00/ gram:
Sizes available: 17.7g, 33.4g, 59.5g, 151.3g, 292.6g

This is strange material. Its chemistry (particularly the olivine faylite number) is out in the middle of no-man’s land between H type and L-type chondrites. One study looked at metal content and hinted at this possibly being L-type related, but weathering (this certainly is not the freshest of meteorites) makes this link uncertain. This is also kind of weird looking stuff. It has light green chondrules and inclusions (of all sizes from very small up to around 1cm) packed tightly together along with sulfide inclusions (some quite large) all in a slightly darker green matrix. Despite the “high” total known weight, I don’t have much of this available as the few large pieces that made up, by far, the bulk of what was found have already found homes in collections.
1) Slices:
a) 4.0 grams - 25mm x 13mm x 5mm - $16
b) 7.8 grams - 40mm x 15mm x 5mm - $31
c) 15.6 grams - 50mm x 22mm x 5mm - $60
d) 30.3 grams - 60mm x 35mm x 5mm - $115
e) 58.3 grams - 75mm x 55mm x 5mm - $215 – this has one cut edge.
f) 104.7 grams - 85mm x 80mm x 5mm - $375 – complete slice.
g) 128.1 grams - 120mm x 70mm x 5mm - $450 – complete slice.

HAXTUN, Colorado: Ordinary chondrite (H/L 4). Found August 1975.

NWA (8424), Morocco: Ordinary chondrite (L3), S2, W2. Found 2014. Tkw = 52 grams.
Here is the main (and only collectable) mass of this fully recorded stone. This was purchased March 2014 in Temara, Morocco. The exterior, though highly wind-polished, does clearly show a mostly rounded primary crust shape (though there are a couple areas of secondary crust – probably 30% of the stone). The interior does not show any metal to speak of (surprising for a W2) but does have lots of clear chondrules in a medium reddish brown matrix.
44.8 grams main mass – 35mm x 22mm x 25mm - $225.00

NWA (753): Rumuruti chondrite (R3.9), S2, W2. Found 2000. Tkw = about 12 kilograms.
Here are pieces I cut from a somewhat large and thick part slice I picked up from a collector while at the last Tucson show. NWA (753) was fairly commonly available 12 or 15 years ago but I see very little of it these days. That is a shame because this is one of the very freshest R-chondrites that has ever been available. These slices show lots of sulfides (there is pretty much no actual fresh, magnet attracting metal in R-chondrites, despite the visual appearance) and light gray to white chondrules in a medium gray matrix. Grab a piece now if you want a fresh R chondrite example at an (for these days) affordable price (I don’t see R-chondrites available often anymore and they are generally quite expensive when they do turn up).
1) Slices:
a) 2.6 grams - 22mm x 15mm x 2mm - $45
b) 5.3 grams - 35mm x 16mm x 3mm - $90
c) 11.4 grams - 37mm x 28mm x 3mm - $190
d) 23.2 grams - 62mm x 37mm x 3mm - $370
e) 45.6 grams - 75mm x 62mm x 3mm - $700 – only one this large.

NWA (753): Rumuruti chondrite (R3.9), S2, W2. Found 2000.

NWA (5956): Carbonaceous chondrite (CK3), S2,W1. Found before February 2006. Tkw = 285 grams.
I don’t think I have ever offered CK3 before (there aren’t that many). These are nice quite fresh fairly thin slices. They show a few (but not a lot) of chondrules (CKs are usually mostly matrix). Interestingly, these show lots of fine metal grains (unusual for CKs from my experience). Research showed that these “metal” grains are the iron (nickel, chlorine and sulfide) minerals kamacite, teanite, lawrencite and troilite. These were given to me unpolished. I sanded one to see if I could bring out the chondrules more. Frankly, sanding made it look worse so I left the rest as is. Needless to say, with such a low recovered weight, I have VERY little of this material available (and I have only 1 each of the two largest specimens).
1) Slices:
a) .8 grams - 15mm x 10mm x 2mm - $25
b) 1.5 grams - 17mm x 14mm x 2mm - $45
c) 2.8 grams - 25mm x 20mm x 2mm - $80
d) 7.0 grams - 49mm x 30mm x 2mm - $190 – complete slice.
e) 9.6 grams - 55mm x 38mm x 2mm - $250 – complete slice. SOLD

NWA (5956): Carbonaceous chondrite (CK3), S2,W1. Found before February 2006.

NWA (11182): Lunar meteorite, feldspathic breccia. Found before February 2017. Tkw = ~ 300grams.
Here are some nice slices of a new Lunar highlands breccia I picked up in Tucson. I ran an XRF on an end piece for the folks I got it from so we could all be sure it was indeed good. This material has some flecks of iron (from meteorites impacting the Moon’s surface) so I was a little concerned that it might be just a howardite look a like (and it does look shockingly similar to my NWA (8386) howardite). The XRF, and now UNM, showed that this is indeed a new Moon rock. This generally shows lighter colored clasts (white to light tan) in a mottled matrix that ranges in color from medium gray to reddish brown. I don’t recall seeing any other Lunar meteorite quite like this one, so it isn’t paired to anything that I am aware of.
1) Slices in plastic display box:
a) .12 grams - 6mm x 5mm x 1.5mm - $30
b) .25 grams - 10mm x 7mm x 1.5mm - $60
c) .46 grams - 12mm x 11mm x 1.5mm - $110
d) .97 grams - 18mm x 14mm x 1.5mm - $230
e) 2.17 grams - 25mm x 19mm x 1.5mm - $500
f) 4.26 grams - 33mm x 30mm x 1.5mm - $950

NWA (11182): Lunar meteorite, feldspathic breccia. Found before February 2017.

ANCIENT METEORITE COINS: Seleucid Kingdom, Antiochas I (280-261BC).
I picked up a small assortment of these neat little bronze coins during the 2017 Tucson show. They are roughly 13mm to 17mm in diameter and weigh roughly (very roughly) around 3 grams. I did a little research on them and what I learned is this: The front (obverse) is a face facing to the right. Some seem to indicate that it is the king (Antiochas) but others say it is (my pick) a “young Apollo”. The reverse has Apollo facing left seated on the Omphalos of Delphi (supposedly a meteorite) with an arrow in his right hand and his left hand resting on a bow. These are fairly nice examples with the designs present (these were often struck off center) quite clear (especially for a nearly 2300 year old coin).
Ancient bronze meteorite coin - $75 each

ANCIENT METEORITE COINS: Seleucid Kingdom, Antiochas I (280-261BC).

Please note:
Shipping: For small US orders shipping is still $3. Larger orders are now $6 to $13 (insurance is extra if desired – I’ll look it up if you want it). Overseas prices have gone up A LOT the past couple years. Small Canada orders are now $10 and small overseas orders are $13 (I’ll have to custom quote any larger items/ orders). Thankfully, it seems that the rate for registration (recommended on more valuable overseas orders) has stayed the same - $13.

I do have a new fax machine that seems to work (but I have to answer it and manually turn it on), so overseas people can contact me that way if they must. How ever, for overseas orders, it probably is best to go ahead and use my e-mail brmeteorites@yahoo.com

ADMIRE, Kansas: (Pallasite). Found 1881.This is a little piece that broke off while I was polishing the Admire slice that has the large olivine (the slice offered on the last list. I’ll have another more typical textured large Admire slice on the next list). Mike had opticoned the pieces and etched one side. I then “took ownership” of the pieces before he had the chance to etch the second side. I wanted them simply polished. He didn’t have time before heading off to Tucson (he got there almost a week before I did) so he did not polish them down (which, apparently, is more difficult/ time consuming than etching. But then that is for him. Frankly, I suck at etching). I did the polishing myself and managed to break this little piece off the large olivine chunk off while doing so. This is typical metal and olivine pallasite textured material. 8.9 gram slice – 40mm x 20mm x 3mm - $45 SOLD

CAMPO DEL CIELO, Argentina: Coarse octahedrite (IAB). Found 1576.Here is a neat large (and thick) etched slice I picked up at the show (I needed a space filler as I sold out of a number of things in the iron section of my table) and wanted something other than Seymchan for an etched iron to show/ sell. Anyway, this is kind of a cool long skinny piece that is etched on both sides. One end has a fairly large (25mm x 20mm) silicate, graphite nodule. A neat display piece. 2695 gam complete etched slice – 300mm x 65mm x 18mm - $1100

GAO, Burkina Faso: (H5). Fell March 5, 1960.This is a nice complete individual. It (aside from a tiny 3mm late atmospheric chip) is completely covered in thick primary crust. There are some areas of light brown oxidation, but most of the crust is a nice dark slate gray to black. 32.2 gram complete crusted individual – 45mm x 22mm x 18mm - $50

GLORIETTA MOUNTAIN, New Mexico: (Pallasite). Found 1884.Now here are a couple nice specimens of a meteorite type I have not had in a long time (and it has been far longer since I have had individuals of this find). These are natural complete iron (as most of the recovered material from the find are) individuals. Both clearly show rounded, atmospherically sculpted shapes and both have nice patches of original blue-gray iron fusion crust (before Sikhote-Alin came out, this was about the ONLY meteorite a collector could get that showed this). The smaller specimen is a bit cleaner, smoother than the larger one but both are nice representative specimens of this very hard to come by these days meteorite.1) Complete individuals as found:a) 19.3 grams – 28mm x 22mm x 8mm - $290b) 32.1 grams – 35mm x 19mm x 14mm - $450

KATOL, India: (L6). Fell May 22, 2012. Tkw = about 13 kilograms.Here is a fresh and wonderful specimen that was left on consignment with me for the show (at a price less than ½ of what I have in the few pieces of this fall I have in my collection and for sale). I came really close to getting this thing sold at the show. Unfortunately, that did not work out and, unfortunately, the owner never came back to pick it up (but then I am sure they knew that I would take it home and try selling it to other customers on line and at other shows). Anyway, this is a super nice nearly complete individual. It has had two edges broken of (probably during the fall) but still has probably better than 75% crust coverage. This crust is thick primary crust and is fresh and black aside from some minor dirt and scuff- marks from its landing. 338.6 gram fresh individual – 60mm x 55mm x 45mm - $5100

MUNDRABILLA, Australia: Medium octahedrite (ungrouped). Found 1911.This is a nice natural individual I got as part of the small collection if irons I got at the show. This particular piece is quite a bit larger than the typical Mundrabilla specimens I see (which are usually around 50 to 80 grams maybe). This piece has a nice sculpted shape, showing nice thumb-printing in many areas but a more rounded, nodular look (typical of smaller Mundrabilla specimens) in others. Nice piece overall. 164.5 gram natural individual – 63mm x 35mm x 25mm - $140 SOLD

NWA (8043): HED achondrite (Diogenite). Found before July 2013. Tkw = over 1860 grams.Well, truthfully, this particular specimen was obviously cut from one of the pairings to NWA (8043). My largest piece (from the actual 1860g batch that made up NWA (8043)) was only around 50 or 60 grams I think (certainly nowhere large enough to cut a fantastic specimen like this). This amazing super thin slice was cut from a MUCH larger specimen. This piece is cut thin enough that light passes through pretty much everywhere. A real (all be it intensely green) stained glass window. Really neat. I may consider breaking this apart into smaller pieces (at a slightly higher price per gram) if I do not sell it intact and I have enough requests for smaller pieces (but I do kind of really hope it does not come to that). 38.4 gram super thin, transparent slice – 140mm x 75mm x 1mm - $750